What began as a chance meeting in Iowa during COVID turned into a love story spanning continents, ending with a beautiful wedding at the Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving Club for Justin and Cara.
Can you share the story of when and how you met?Justin is a crop-dusting pilot, and he was working in Iowa in the US, near where I grew up. I happened to be back there during COVID; this was in the summer of 2020. Justin’s dad ran the operations of the crop-dusting business and hired me to help out. We got to know each other slowly over a month or so. As Justin would say, I was making quite the impression, making him homemade lunches and going the extra mile at work. At the end of the crop-dusting season, Justin said that since I was doing so well looking after him, he wanted to take me out. We went to the finest steakhouse around. Shortly after that, he asked me to go on a month-long road trip around Florida with him. When we were on our trip, his flight back to Australia got cancelled. The rest is history.
What was the proposal like? Justin had mentioned that he wanted to get his friends together and go to a particular restaurant for his birthday. I organised the reservation and didn’t think anything was unusual. The night of the proposal, we sat down for dinner, and everyone ordered drinks and was catching up. Justin was at the head of the table, and I was sitting by him. He got everyone’s attention and thanked everyone for coming to celebrate his birthday. And then he started to stand up and pulled his napkin off his lap. His words were, “And I just got one thing I need to take care of”. Under his napkin, he was hiding the ring box. He got down on one knee and proposed. It was so unexpected. I remember feeling so shocked. But it was really special because all of our friends started cheering, and champagne was ordered straight away. It was such a beautiful moment, and there was so much excitement going around the room. We felt all the love.
What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme/vibe? Justin and I both love being outdoors, especially at the beach. We both agreed we wanted a coastal wedding with a classic vibe. I envisioned the ocean in the background of all of our photos, and the views from the Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving Club were perfect for what we imagined for the reception. The decor was simple and elegant. We had all-white florals and candles. The bridesmaids wore pastel blue dresses and the men wore custom black suits, which was fitting for the timeless coastal look. It was really important to us to have really good food and request one of our favourites, (steak and mashed potatoes of course). The Surf Club coordinator was happy to accommodate our request.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day? I won’t forget the entire time I was getting my hair and makeup done; it was raining outside. I was facing the window, hoping it would let up in time for our ceremony. The surf club coordinator had called me earlier in the morning to confirm whether we were having the ceremony inside or outside. I was adamant that I wanted it outside and thought the rain would eventually stop. About 10 minutes before I was meant to walk down the aisle, it was still raining, and I had my maid of honour call the mother of the groom and tell her they had to move the ceremony inside. I couldn’t get married in the rain. My mother-in-law started to organise the switch, but was stopped by the surf club coordinator and groom. They said that the rain was going to stop in the next 30 minutes, and we could have the ceremony outside once it quit. Someone called me back and said we’re keeping the ceremony outside. I was a bit confused, but I trusted their call. My husband knew how badly I wanted to get married outside. Sure enough, the girls got in the car, and as we arrived at the venue, the rain started to let up. It quit raining and the ceremony began. I was so happy, which leads into the most memorable moment… locking eyes with each other as I walked down the aisle. I had no idea what the floral arrangements in front of me looked like or who was there. It felt like it was just us.
Did you incorporate any personal touches or traditions into your wedding? Justin and I were legally married at the courthouse in the US a few months prior. We wrote our own vows, and our celebrant was the best man’s mother (who was also like a second mother to the groom). Those touches made our wedding feel more authentic and special to us.
What was your favourite part of the reception?Justin and I both agree that we really loved the speeches. Everyone had their heartwarming stories to tell, and so many touching words were said.
What advice would you give to couples currently planning their wedding? Plan and organise as much as possible well in advance. Honestly, I found the small things so much more time-consuming and overwhelming. We were writing vows, outlining the ceremony, drafting decor instructions, writing our speech, among other things, in the last few weeks leading up to the wedding, and it made it really stressful. Also, plan for wet weather and be just as happy with your backup option. Being so set on having the ceremony outside added a lot of stress to the day.
Finer details:
Rings – Larsen Jewellery Florist – Blooms of Noosa
Make-up – Kate Devlin Hair – Love is in the Hair by Liz
Venue – Sunshine Beach SLSC Photographer/Videographer – Figtree Pictures
Musician – Call me Will Cake – Zoe Clark Cakes
Dress – Katherine Tash (Sphere Bridal Gallery)
Bridesmaid dresses – Bec + Bridge Suits – Institchu